CN1136739C - Method of controlling service execution in intelligent network and switching point in intelligent network - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention is based on the idea that in an intelligent network the order of execution of service programs at one point during the call, such as the detection point, is defined, and the service programs are contacted in this order until instructions are received to leave the point or release the call. The order of execution is defined by dealing with one category of service-related detection points after another, and within each category with a control relationship the order of execution is defined by a priority set for service programs.

Description

Method of controlling service execution in intelligent network and switching point in intelligent network

The invention relates to service execution in an intelligent network.

The rapid development in the field of telecommunications has made it possible for operators to provide users with many different types of services. Such a network system structure that provides advanced services is called an intelligent network, and it is commonly abbreviated as IN. Examples of such services are Virtual Private Networks (VPNs), which allow the use of short numbers between private network users, and private numbers, where the Intelligent Network reroutes calls made to private numbers in a user-controlled manner. IN services are applied through various networks such as mobile communication networks and fixed networks connected to IN.

The physical structure of the intelligent network is illustrated in Figure 1, where the physical entities are represented as rectangles or cylinders and the functional entities located within them are represented as ellipses. Since reference will be made to an intelligent network environment later in the description of the invention, this structure is briefly described below. Interested readers can obtain a more detailed understanding of Intelligent Networks from, for example, ITUT Recommendation Q.121X or from Bellcore's AIN Recommendation. ETS 300 374-1 CorelNAP clauses will be used in the description of the invention and its background description, but the invention can also be used in intelligent networks implemented according to other intelligent network standards.

The subscriber equipment SE, which can be, for example, a telephone, a mobile station, a computer or a fax machine, is directly connected to a service switching point or directly to a network access point NAP. The Service Switching Point SSP provides the user with access to the network and takes care of all necessary dialing functions. The SSP is also able to detect the demands of intelligent network service requests. In functional terms, SSP includes call management, routing and service dialing functions.

The service control point SCP comprises a service logic program SLP for generating intelligent network services. In the following, "business program" will also be used as a shortened form of "business logic program". A service data point SDP is a database containing such data about users and the intelligent network, which is used by SCP service programs for generating personalized services. The SCP can directly use the SDP service through a signaling or data network.

Intelligent peripheral IP provides special functions, such as notification, and voice and multiple dial identification and so on.

The signaling network shown in the figure is a network according to Signaling System No. 7 (SS7), which is an existing one described in the No.7 Signaling System Specification (Melbourne 1988) of CCITT (now ITU-T). Known signaling system.

The Call Control Agent Function (CCAF) ensures end-user (subscriber) access to the network. The access of IN business is realized by increasing the existing digital exchange. This is done using the Basic Call State Model BCSM, which describes the various levels of call processing and includes those points or detection points DP at which call processing can be interrupted in order to initiate intelligent network services. At these detection points, the service logic entities of the intelligent network can be in an interactive relationship with basic call and connection management functions. In the exchange, call setup is divided into two parts: call setup in the originating part and call setup in the terminating part. As a rough illustration, call processing in the originating part is related to the calling subscriber's service, and call processing in the terminating part is related to the called subscriber's service. The corresponding state modes are Originating Basic Call State Mode (O-BCSM) and Terminating Basic Call State Mode (T-BCSM). BCSM is a high-level state automaton description of those call control functions (CCFs) required to set up and maintain connections between users. Functionality is added to this stateful model with the help of the Service Switching Function (SSF) (cf. partial overlap of CCF and SSF in Figure 1) in order to enable it to decide when intelligent network services (i.e. IN services) should be requested . When an IN service has been requested, the service control function (SCF), including the service logic of the intelligent network, performs service-related processing (in call setup). Thus, the Service Switching Function SSF connects the Call Control Function CCF to the Service Control Function SCF and allows the Service Control Function SCF to control the Call Control Function CCF.

Intelligent network services are realized in such a way that the service switching point SSP asks the service control point SCP for instructions with the help of messages relayed through the SSP/SCP interface regarding encountering relevant service detection points. These messages are called operations in Intelligent Network terminology. For example, the SCF may request the SSF/CCF to perform some call or connection functions, such as charging or routing operations. The SCF can also send requests to a Service Data Function (SDF), which provides access to relevant service data and network data of the Intelligent Network. So the SCF can eg request the SDF to fetch data about certain services or request it to update this data.

The above-mentioned functionality involved in the interaction with the user is added by providing an interface to those network devices through a specialized resource function SRF. Examples are the collection of messages to users and user dialing.

The following is a brief description of the tasks of the functional entities shown in Figure 1 through the IN business. The CCAF receives a service request from the calling party, typically by the calling party picking up the receiver and/or dialing certain number strings. CCAF continues to relay the service request to CCF/SSF for processing. The CCF has no traffic data, but it is programmed to identify those detection points where SCP access is possible. The CCF interrupts the call setup for a while and gives the Service Switching Function SSF data about the detected detection point (relevant to the call setup level) encountered. The task of the SSF is to interpret whether the job is a service request related to intelligent network services by using predetermined criteria. If this is the case, the SSF sends a standardized IN service request to the SCF, including data related to the call. The SCF receives the request and decodes it. It then cooperates with SSF/CCF, SRF and SDF to generate the requested service for the end user.

As mentioned above, a service is initiated when the SSF sends a standard IN service request to the SCF. Service requests may be sent during certain stages of the call. Figure 2 illustrates some basic operations of the latest functions of the intelligent network at the detection point. At point 21, the SSP sends an initial DP (InitialDP) service request to the SCP, including basic data about initiating calls for intelligent network services. Then comes the help of detection points in SSP. At point 22 the SCP sends a Request Report BCSM Event (RequestReportBCSMEvent) operation to the SSP, telling the SSP which detection point it should report to the SCP. Next, at point 23, the SCP typically sends a charging and/or interaction operation, such as Apply Charging (e.g. a request for a charging report) or Play Announcement (a notification to the user) some type of. At point 24, the SCP sends routing instructions to the SSP, such as connect (route the call to a new number) or continue (keep the call set up with the same data). When it coincides with the detection point reserved by the SCP, then at point 26, the SSP sends an Event Report BCSM (EventReportBCSM) operation to the SCP.

The detection points identified in the intelligent network structure are the main mechanisms for reporting various events. Events 21-24 in FIG. 2 as described above relate to a detection point called a trigger detection point (TDP). The SSP may make an initial query regarding the SCP's traffic regarding the detection point of the relevant TDP traffic. Therefore, a new IN business on TDP starts. At a so-called Triggered Detection Point Request (TDP-R), call processing is stopped until the SSP receives an instruction from the SCP. Thus, a controlling relationship is formed between the SSP and the business process in question. At Triggered Detection Point Notification (TDP-N), only a notification is sent from the SSP to the SCP about the detection point of the relevant traffic encountered and the call processing continues without waiting for an instruction. Trigger information related to various IN services is stored in the network. For a TDP-R detection point, the trigger information may include a definition of priority as to which one of the more than one service procedures is started if there are several service procedures at the same detection point that can complete their trigger information. When only one control relationship is allowed, then the service program with the highest priority is started from the triggering service program and all other service programs at that detection point are discarded.

Another type of detection point is an event detection point (EDP). Point 26 in Figure 2 represents the instant at which an EDP detection point is encountered during a call. The SSP reports the situation regarding this associated traffic detection point to the SCP, which at point 28 sends an additional call instruction to the SSP. An Event Detection Point Request (EDP-R) is a detection point where call processing will stop at the connection point until the SCP sends additional instructions. The EDP-R checkpoint helps create a control relationship between the SSP and the SCP's special service programming. By controlling the relationship means that the session between the call setter and the SCF continues, and the SCF can give instructions to change the handling of the call during this session. In a monitoring relationship, the SCP cannot influence the course of call handling; it can only ask the SSP to report various events related to the call. In a monitoring relationship, Event Detection Point Notification (EDP-N) may be equipped.

According to the IN standard, the monitoring service program is processed at the detection point before the start-up control service program and service program are processed before the new service program. Therefore, the execution sequence of various types of related service detection points in the IN network is as follows: EDP-N, TDP-N, EDP-R, and then TDP-R.

According to current Intelligent Network standards, only one controlling relationship but several monitoring relationships may involve a call. Therefore, one problem with EDP-R is that it prevents any additional traffic from being generated. This is especially a problem when a service program preserves the control relationship throughout the call by helping as EDP-R a detection point encountered at the end of the call, so that no more intelligent network service can be accessed during the call in question. start up. The operation of the intelligent network is thus based on the fact that only one service program (SCP relationship) at a time can have a control relationship and thus control the SSP. This principle usually refers to single point control.

If it were possible to establish multiple points of control, where several control relationships are allowed at the same time, then the sequence of execution of business programs would be a problem. In the notification type of the relevant service detection point, such as EDP-N or TDP-N, since the notification does not affect the call processing, the execution order of the notification of different services is not so important. However, just as in TDP-R or EDP-R, when a call processing instruction is requested, the processing results are different due to the different execution sequences of service requests. For example, the call name service must be activated before the virtual private network service allows the reappearance of call names.

The object of the invention is to control the execution of multiple service programs in an intelligent network.

According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of controlling the execution of services in an intelligent network, comprising at least one switching point (SSP) and several service programs (SLPs), in the method concerning calls, at the switching point (SSP) form at least two control relationships with the service program (SLP) providing instructions to it, and arrange at least one special point in the call, wherein the connection is made between the switching point (SSP) and at least two service programs (SLP) , characterized in that, in the method, at the special point of the call, the category of the relevant service detection point is determined according to the relationship type and the start-up mode of the service program, a priority is attached to the service program with the control relationship and according to this Priority determines the execution order within each category with a control relationship, defines the execution order of different business programs has nothing to do with the triggering order of business programs, and at a special point in the call, through the switching point (SSP) in accordance with the specified order The service program is connected until the command call leaves this particular point of the call.

According to one aspect of the invention, there is provided a switching point in an intelligent network configured to form at least two control points between a switching point (SSP) and a service program (SLP) providing it with call-related instructions Relationship, and such disposition, promptly arrange at least one special point in calling to allow to connect between switching point (SSP) and at least two business programs (SLP), it is characterized in that, switching point is suitable for calling special point Each service program is connected in an execution order defined independently of the order of execution of the service programs for different service programs up to this specific point where the command call leaves the call.

The invention is based on the idea that at a point during a call, such as a checkpoint, the execution sequence of the business programs is defined and the business programs are connected in this order until an instruction to leave the point or disconnect the call is received . The order of execution is defined by successively processing the categories of related business detection points, and within each category having a control relationship, the order of execution is defined by the priority set for the business program.

According to the invention, the execution of services has the advantage that it provides control means for executing a plurality of service programs.

Another advantage of this method according to the invention is that it enables the combination of various services.

A further advantage of the method according to the invention is that the service programs can be freely distributed without impairing the combined functionality.

The invention will now be described more closely in connection with a preferred embodiment with reference to the examples shown in Figures 3, 4, 5a and 5b in the accompanying drawings.

Fig. 1 represents the part of intelligent network architecture important to the present invention;

Figure 2 represents the operation of a state-of-the-art intelligent network at the detection point according to some basic operations.

Fig. 3 shows the structure of the intelligent network representing the control relationship of multiple points;

Figure 4 shows a first embodiment of the invention as a flowchart;

Figure 5a shows a part according to a second embodiment of the present invention; and

Fig. 5b shows another part in the second embodiment according to the invention.

The method according to the invention is independent of the method of implementing multipoint control. One way to realize several simultaneous control relations is to divide the controllability of the connection into parts by separating out different levels of operability, so-called controllability classes, within each of which it is preferable to use Single point of control. A controllability class specifies some set of these instructions provided by a business program that is acceptable to an exchange point in this controllability class. The controllability of connections is therefore subfunctional. Synchronous controllability of several service programs thus becomes possible, that is to say, permission can be given to several service programs implemented simultaneously to provide a switching point with instructions for call processing, which provide instructions belonging to different controllability category. Service programs associated with different controllability classes can thus simultaneously control the operation of the switching point by means determined by their respective controllability classes as shown in FIG. 3 . Free controllability categories can be assigned to business processes according to their controllability requirements. The division of controllability is within the state model (O-BCSM or T-BCSM). The assignment of a controllability class in one BCSM of a call can also affect the other BCSMs of the call, for example preventing the initiation of services requiring the same controllability class. Another way to provide multipoint control is to transfer control from one business process to another within a test point.

Fig. 4 shows a first embodiment according to the present invention as a flowchart. First, the execution order is set for the business program (stage 400). It would be advantageous to set a new priority parameter in the IN traffic information used, at least when encountering EDP-R. And prior art priorities in IN traffic trigger information can be used in the method according to the invention, especially when encountering TDP-R. The execution order does not need to be defined separately at each checkpoint. The remainder of the flowchart in FIG. 4 concerns a detection point or another fixed point in the call. At stage 402 the EDP-N connection is checked first. If there is at least one EDP-N a notification is given to the service program in question (stage 404). The execution sequence between different business programs connected in the EDP-N category is irrelevant since they do not affect each other, therefore, the connections can be made in any order within this EDP-N category. Continue EDP-N execution 100 until all these connections are processed. Next, at stage 406 the TDP-N connection is checked. According to the prior art, trigger conditions are estimated for TDP-N related service procedures. If at least one triggered TDP-N is executed, the service procedure in question is started and notified (stage 408). As with EDP-N connections, the order of execution in different service procedures connected in the TDP-N category is not relevant. Therefore, these connections can be made in any order within this TDP-N class. Continue TDP-N execution 110 until all triggering connections are processed. After that, EDP-R execution 120 is performed. The new priority parameters according to the invention are advantageous in that the different business programs are processed in an order defined by certain priority parameters. At stage 410 the EDP-R connection is checked. If there is an EDP-R connection to process, then at level 412 a request is sent to the service program with the highest priority. Call processing is stopped until an instruction from this service program is received at stage 414. The instructions are evaluated as to whether they instruct the call to proceed to some other destination, for example to another telephone number, or require the call to be disconnected (stage 416). In all these cases, call processing at the detection point ends and the retained EDP-R is not processed. In all other cases, execution of the EDP-R continues from stage 410 in the order of the invention. Finally, when all EDP-R connections have been executed and the call is still at the same detection point, TDP-R execution 130 is entered. At stage 418 the TDP-R connection is checked. According to the prior art, trigger conditions are estimated for TDP-R related service procedures. According to the invention, the triggering service procedures are processed in the order specified by certain priority parameters, such as the priority of the prior art in the IN service trigger information or the new priority parameter according to the invention, so that the processes with the highest priority are processed first. Priority business programs, business programs with the next highest priority are processed after that, and so on. If there is at least one triggered TDP-R to be executed, the service program with the highest priority is started and a notification is sent to it (stage 420). Call processing is stopped until an instruction from this service program is received at stage 422. Likewise, the instructions are evaluated (stage 424) as to whether they indicate that the call is to proceed to another location or require a call disconnect. In all these cases, call processing at the detection point ends and the held TDP-R is not processed. In all other cases, TDP-R execution continues from stage 418 in the order of the invention.

Figures 5a and 5b show parts of a second embodiment according to the invention. The same numbering is used for the stages in FIGS. 5a and 5b corresponding to those in FIG. 4 . The parts of the method not shown in Figures 5a and 5b, ie the execution of EDP-N and EDP-R, correspond to those of the first embodiment. Figure 5a provides a TDP-N implementation 110 of this embodiment. At stage 406, in connection with the first embodiment of the present invention, the TDP-N connection is checked, as described above. If there is at least one triggered TDP-N to perform, call gaps in the network are checked (stage 502). This check is useful for some IN protocols, such as CS-1 and CS-2, as it aims to avoid overloading the SCP. When this check is passed, ie when the SCP is not considered overloaded, TDP-N execution continues at stage 408 as described above. When the call gap is not passed, a check is made at stage 504 as to whether the call in this location is disconnected. If not, TDP-N execution continues from stage 406 . The notification defined by this function can be given to the user when a call gap prevents the service program from starting.

Figure 5b provides a TDP-R implementation 130 of this second embodiment. At stage 418, in conjunction with the first embodiment of the present invention, the TDP-R association is checked, as described above. If there is at least one triggered TDP-R to perform, call gaps in the network are checked (stage 512). When this check is passed, ie when the SCP is not considered overloaded, TDP-R execution continues at stage 420 in the inventive sequence as described above. When the call gap is not passed, a check is made at stage 514 as to whether the call in this location is disconnected. If not, TDP-R execution continues from stage 418 . A notification may be given to the user about call gaps.

In a third embodiment of the invention, business programs are prioritized based on the controllability category assigned to them. In this embodiment, controllability classes are assigned to service programs, as shown in FIG. 3, where controllability class C1 is assigned to service program SLP1, C2 to SLP2 and C3 to SLP3. According to the invention, the assigned controllability class is used when encountering EDP-R and/or TDP-R. Therefore, different controllability categories are corresponded to represent different priorities, and business programs are activated in the order of priorities. For example, if C1 corresponds to the highest priority, C2 corresponds to the next highest priority, and C3 corresponds to the lowest priority, the order of execution of these service programs will be: SLP1, SLP2, and SLP3, regardless of the Class, that is, when they are connected inside EDP-R or TDP-R. In addition, a check is made on encountering a TDP-R as to whether the start-up of a business process with an assigned controllability class is permitted, i.e. whether the controllability class in question is already being used by another business process Using. If start is permitted, the service program is started and waits for instructions as stated. Otherwise, the service program is discarded, and the execution of another TDP-R's TDP-R is continued. On receiving instructions, the SSP checks whether they are within the controllability category of the business program. If not, ignore the instruction and continue with the execution of the EDP-R or TDP-R of the next service program. Otherwise, in connection with the above-mentioned first embodiment, the instruction is checked.

When the service program cannot be started or the SCP connection fails according to the present invention, the execution of the next service program can be continued, the detection point can be discarded, or the call may need to be disconnected. Operations in this case can be defined in the form of IN traffic information, for example.

According to the invention, the execution sequence is particularly advantageous when at least some business programs have to be started in a specific order. Often, business combinations provide different results depending on the order in which the business is performed. Sometimes it's not even possible to start a business process in the rudiments of a call. An example of a combination is an accessibility service and some location dependent services, therefore the accessibility service needs to be executed first and thus needs to have a higher priority than the location dependent service.

The invention is also suitable for use with services implemented according to several different protocols. According to the invention, when a business program has been given the highest priority, it is then started first. After that, for example, with the help of the assigned controllability categories, other proposals for the same business can be jettisoned. Priority of business programs may also depend on user location. Examples of such functions are traffic with high priority in the home network using the CS-2 protocol and the same traffic with high priority in the visited network using the CAMEL (custom program for mobility enhanced logic) protocol business.

The drawings and descriptions associated with them are only intended to illustrate the idea of the invention. The method according to the invention, with respect to its details, may vary within the scope defined by the claims. Although the invention has been described above mainly in terms of specific categories of traffic-related detection points, the method can also be used with other assignments of traffic-related detection points. A service program as described above may be an exchange-based service, an IN service, or a service similar to an IN service but having an interface other than the IN interface between the control program packet and the control switching unit, such as a special number portability database or Call name database. When using different protocols such as CorelNAP or CAMEL, the invention can be applied even in the same BCSM when connecting the control points, in the method according to the invention, there are operations other than those described above and in addition to Relayed information can also be transmitted at other times outside the detection point, for example unsolicited messages about state-of-the-art technologies such as Release Calls or Cancellations.

Claims (10)

1. Method for controlling the execution of services in an intelligent network, comprising at least one switching point (SSP) and several service programs (SLP), in the method concerning calls, form at least two control relationships between a switching point (SSP) and a service program (SLP) providing instructions to it, and Arranging at least one special point in the call, wherein a connection is made between a switching point (SSP) and at least two service programs (SLP), It is characterized in that, in this method, At the special point of the call, the category of the relevant service detection point is determined according to the relationship type and the start-up mode of the service program, Attach a priority to a business program with a control relationship and determine the execution order within each category with a control relationship according to this priority, The order in which the different business programs are executed is defined independently of the order in which the business programs are triggered, and At a particular point of a call, the service procedures are connected in a prescribed order through a switching point (SSP) until the call is commanded to leave that particular point of a call. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the priority is defined using a priority parameter. 3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that a controllability class is assigned to the service program (SLP), by which controllability class defines the priority of each service program with a control relationship, and according to this priority The class determines the order of execution within each class that has a control relationship. 4. The method according to claim 1, 2 or 3, characterized in that the execution sequence is defined within the category of the started business program having a control relationship. 5. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the execution order is defined inside the category of the business program with control relationship that has not been started yet. 6. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that the new service programming can only be started when the controllability class of the new service program is different from the controllability class of the already started service program. 7. A method as claimed in claim 5, characterized in that calling gaps are checked before starting a new service procedure and the service procedure is started whenever the check is passed. 8. The method as claimed in claim 5, characterized in that the service triggering criteria are checked before starting a new service program and the service program is started whenever the check is passed. 9. The method as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the special point of the call is a detection point (DP1, DP3) of the basic call state mode (O-BCSM, T-BCSM). 10. A switching point in an intelligent network configured to form at least two control relationships between a switching point (SSP) and a service program (SLP) providing it with call-related instructions, and configured such that arranging at least one special point in the call to allow connection between a switching point (SSP) and at least two service programs (SLP), It is characterized in that the switching point is suitable for connecting service programs at a specific point of the call in a defined execution sequence for different service programs independently of the sequence of execution of the service programs until the call is commanded to leave the specific point of the call.

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